Improvement in percussion-fuses for shells



- To all whom it may concern.-

percussion-cap I.

A. H. EMERY, on NEW YORK, N. r.

IMPROVEMENT IN PERCUSSION-FUSES FOR SHELLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,828, dated December 8, i863.

Be it known that I, A. H. EMERY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have in vented a new and Improved Fuse for Rifled Projectiles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Thenatureofmyinvention consists inproviding a simple, safe, and convenient method of fastening the plunger of percussion-fuses in the projectile in such a manner that it shall be safe to handle in transportation, and shall be unloosed when the proj ectile is fired from the gun, so as to move forward and be exploded when the front part of the projectile meets any resistance which suddenly changes its velocity,

by means of a screw-thread cut on its cylindrical portion by which it is screwed firmly to its place, which thread is stripped off by the force of the explosion of the powder in the gun, leaving the plunger free to move forward in the direction of the axis of the projectile, so it may strike the cap sufficiently hard to explode it, and in providing a simple method of closing the shell up water-tight by means of an elastic or soft packing-ring placed under the shoulder of the plunger, and against which it is pressed sufficiently firm to make a watertight joint by means of the screw-thread previously mentioned.

To enable others skilled in the art to make use of my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In the drawings like letters represent like parts.

Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section of the projectile, with the fuse prepared and placed in its proper position for firing, made by the cutting-plane a b, in Fig. 2, which is a front end view of the projectile andfuse, with the shell-cap B removed.

A is the body of the projectile; B, the shell cap which covers'up the fuse-hole, and against which the plunger 0 strikes to explode the D is a thin flange or shoulder on the plunger, which is made strong enough not to be torn off in screwing the plunger firmly to its place,

and light. enough to be torn off when the projectile is suddenly moved forward by the explosion of the powder in the gun. Its use is to stop the plunger at a proper distance from the shoulder on the shell around the fuse-seat, so that this shoulder and that of the plunger may be separated by a small uniform space just suflicient to allow the plunger to travel far enough toward the rear of the shell (as the flange D is torn off) to tear off the screw thread F. v

E is a thin soft washer, made usually of leather or rubber, which is placed between the flange D and the shoulder of the shell in the fuse-seat, and closes up the cavity of the shell water-tight when the plunger 0 is screwed firmly down on it by means of the thread of the screw at F. This screw thread holds the plunger firmly in its place during "transportation, so that no accident can occur in handling the loaded shell. IVhen the shell is fired from the gun, the flange D and screwthread F are torn off in their efiort to cause the plunger to move forward with the proj ectile, and the fuse is allowed to move back until the shoulder rests upon the washer E. After the projectile leaves the gun, the fuse is free to move forward, and does so whenever the velocity of the shell is suddenly reduced by the front part of it striking against any body, and striking against the shell-cap B explodes the percussion-cap I, placed on the nip ple H, which is made of a' separate piece and screwed into the plunger 0, as itis made, as here shown, a part of the plunger. Thepart G of the plunger 0 is made with any form of section not circular, so that a wrench placed on it will turn the plunger and screw and unscrew the thread F to its place. In the model and draw- 'ings this part G is made rectangular, which is a convenient and easy way of making and using it. p

K is a small plug, usually made of soft ma terial, (here of wood,) which, being driven in the plunger, retains the powder therein until it is fired by the explosion of the cap I. The plunger is filled with mealcd powder before the insertion of the plug K, and the cap I is dipped in a solution of gum-shellac, which not only keeps it in its place by cementing it there as the shellac dries, but keeps the water from getting under and in it. The plunger 0 is made of any suitable material. Brass is very good for this purpose. This fuse is only suitable to use in rifled shell, as the shell must strike on the front part in order to cause the plunger to move forward to explode the cap I. The and thread F with the plunger 0, substantially thread F may be placed upon the small cylas and for the purposes herein described and inder of the plunger, as here shown, as it may set forth.

be placed on the largest part of the body of 2. The combination and use of the washer the plunger, but will not give a fuse so sensi- E, when combined with the shell A, flange D, tive in its action as when it is placed as here and serew-thread F, substantially as and for shown. the purposes herein described and set forth.

I do not claim percussion-fuses with the T plunger 0 as new or of my invention; but EMERX' lVhat I do here claim, and desire to secure \Vitnesses:

l by Letters Patent, isi CHARLES SMITH,

1. The combination and use of the flangeD I T. SOHEITHTS. 

